Lil-lets Workers To Demonstrate In Birmingham City Centre

Unite members who lost their jobs and had their pensions expectations attacked when sanitary product manufacturer Lil-Lets was bought out by private equity, will be joined by Dr Carl Chinn (local celebrity and historian) in a demonstration at Victoria Square, Birmingham city centre on Saturday 15th September 2007.

150 workers were left devastated when the Birmingham factory closed in June with UK operations transferred to Taiwan and South Africa. The plant had a 112 year history in Alum Rock, Birmingham.

Furthermore, to add insult to injury , 46 of its employees aged over 50 had expected to receive a full 'consent' pension. There has been a refusal to fund that expectation and as a direct result, the pension these employees expected to receive is - in some cases - 30% lower than expected. Unite believes this is morally and ethically wrong as these employees have given long and loyal service to the Company and the only reason the Employer has moved abroad is to make even more profits than they do now.

The closure was announced in November last year when it was owned by private equity company, Accantia Health & Beauty Ltd. Then in December the company was bought out by equity banker, Electra and renamed Lil-lets UK. Electra stated there would be no change to the closure proposal, despite the company making excellent profits.

The demonstrators will be joined by Dr Carl Chinn, historian, local celebrity and possibly a candidate for the elected mayor of Birmingham. The demonstration will take place at Birmingham City Centre, at Victoria Square. Dr Chin will be attending the demonstration between 10am and 10.30am on Saturday 15th September 2007.

Unite officer Lynne Shakespeare said:"Dr Chinn will be joining our members in Birmingham City Centre in a demonstration against Lil-lets. The union believes the company are morally wrong to have withdrawn profitable manufacturing from the UK.

Lil-Lets biggest market is the UK, yet we believe that they have treated their long-serving and skilled workforce with utter callousness and disrespect. As well losing their jobs, our members over 50 years of age will suffer substantial losses to their expected pensions if they claim them now."